I watched Arcane for the first time the last week of November and now I've seen it nine times since. It was only so long before a fanfic was born. If you know me from any other fandoms, my updates are sporadic and can be few and far between, but I like this little brain worm of mine, so hopefully this won't take years on end to complete. Time will only tell. Maybe I can at least finish this before season 2 drops. I can dream.
.:Come Play with the Misfits:.
i.
Stereotyping was bullshit.
High school was bullshit.
Vi groaned as she rolled over in bed, stuffing her head under her pillow in a vain attempt to block out her sister's joyful humming in the bathroom down the hall. It was the first day of the new school year and Vi was not ready. Freshman year had been hell, she couldn't wait to see how sophomore year would top it.
It wasn't even that she hated school outright. If you ignore the fights, subsequent detentions, skipped classes and smoking in the courtyard, Vi was actually a good student. She participated in classes she showed up to, she turned in her work on time and she aced all her tests. Yet, despite this, she was still considered a misfit; one of 'those' kids teachers didn't want in their class and students avoided due to reputation alone.
Vi didn't care. She had friends, she had a few teachers who liked her and had her back and she had fun. Adults seemed to forget that high school was a time to have fun before real life started; a time to figure out the real you. Maybe Vi's real self was just a rebel who did things on her own time and her own way. If it yielded the same result, why did it matter if she had perfect attendance? Maybe she would drop out once she turned sixteen next year; that didn't make her a bad student while she was still there.
It wasn't like anyone expected much of her.
"Powder, quit it with the singin', will you?" she grumbled as her sister danced into their shared room.
"But it's the first day of school!" her sister exclaimed, jumping on top of Vi and beginning to shake her. "Get up, Vi!"
Just then, a knock sounded from the door at the front of their trailer.
"Come on then, you girls still not up and at 'em?" a deep, accented, yet compassionate voice bellowed from outside.
"Vi won't get out of bed!" Powder shouted back.
"Violet, don't make me come in there."
Vi scoffed as she finally uncovered her head and tossed the pillow at Powder.
"Full name treatment already. Damn," she grumbled.
There was a low chuckle from outside, then, "I expect you two at breakfast in ten minutes."
With a roll of her eyes, Vi began getting ready. Powder immediately went back to singing. As they crowded into the small bathroom, Vi simply wet her hair before slicking back the long half and tussling some of the bangs. Ever since she had made the decision to shave half her head before starting high school she had felt more herself than she ever had. The style looked good on her.
Plus, it only hyped her 'bad girl' persona. Seeing as they lived in the 'bad' part of town, whatever worked to keep the dickheads away from her, her sister and her friends was enough.
She ruffled Powder's hair just as the girl finished brushing it before ducking out of the bathroom before the brush hit the wall where her head had just been. Both of them were laughing as they exited their home seven minutes later.
"She lives!" Mylo called as greeting.
Vi sat down at the long folding table and swiped an apple from Mylo's plate. "Chill, guys. I would've made it there eventually. Nothing happens on the first day anyway."
"That's exactly why you show up!" Mylo exclaimed. "We have a free pass to goof off and nap!"
"Don't let Vander hear you say that."
"Don't let Vander hear you say what now?" the same accented voice from earlier asked.
"Vi was gonna skip school!" Mylo tattled, quickly filling his plate with pancakes Vander set before all of them.
"No I wasn't!" Vi claimed, punching Mylo's shoulder. "'Least I can keep an A in all my classes regardless, Mr. C Average."
Mylo rolled his eyes. "I dunno why you even bother. You know the only reason we're in school to begin with is because it was part of the agreement and it keeps us off the streets. You really see yourself going to college, Vi?"
"No," Vi glowered, "but I see Powder and Ekko going, so I gotta set a good example."
"I wanna be a mechanic or scientist!" Powder jumped in.
Ekko perked up next to her. "Me too! And I'm also going to help a lot of people!"
"I think it'd be kinda cool to graduate," Claggor joined in from the other side of Mylo.
The skinny boy just scoffed before continuing to stuff his face.
"You all are weird."
Caitlyn Kiramman had led a privileged life. Born into one of the city's oldest and richest families, she had never wanted a day in her life. As a child, the life of luxury had been a blast, but now, only a month shy of her sixteenth birthday, she was beginning to see how complacent the lifestyle had made her. Her mother was always going on about this new 'eat the rich' motion and how deplorable it was while Caitlyn secretly encouraged it. Why should the rich continue to get richer? Why not distribute that wealth evenly?
After all, it's not like her family didn't have money to spare, she thought dryly as she gazed out the window of her parents' Porsche SUV.
"Your father will pick you up after practice," her mother said from the front seat and Caitlyn hid her smile at the way she emphasized the last word.
Despite her parents'—mostly her mother, honestly—best attempts to raise her to be a proper lady of an esteemed family, Caitlyn had finally gotten her say in one of her extracurricular activities. She had taken up the sport of soccer when she was seven and had instantly fallen in love and played ever since. Her mother may not approve of the 'brutality' of it all as it 'wasn't an activity a young lady should partake in,' but she had eventually relented with the encouragement from her father. Caitlyn had tried her suggestions: she lacked the balance for ballet or other dance, she preferred listening to music than playing it herself and the etiquette lessons had nearly led to her running away in the dead of night.
But rushing down the field dribbling a ball and feeling the opposition right on your tail? That feeling of anticipation as the ball soared towards the goal, but there was still the slightest chance it would be saved or deflected? The satisfaction of that gentle swoosh of the net?
There was nothing else like it.
Her mother would eventually have to accept that Caitlyn had no plans on fitting in to the aristocratic mold her mother had cast the day Caitlyn was born.
At least her parents were modern enough that she hadn't been promised to any man yet. She likely only had her father to thank for that, however.
"Caitlyn, are you listening?"
Caitlyn sat up straighter and answered, "Yes, mother."
She saw her mother roll her eyes and her father's smirk. He and Caitlyn met eyes in the rearview mirror and Caitlyn giggled softly to herself at her father's own eyeroll.
"Have a good day at school, dear," he said as their car pulled to a stop in front of the gates to Progress Academy, the poshest school in higher Piltover.
"Thanks, dad."
As Caitlyn made her way across the courtyard, she contemplated the year ahead of her. Last year she had been so focused on her grades and soccer, she hadn't really branched out in the way she desired to. She really did enjoy school, but she didn't want that to be the only thing she was remembered for.
She didn't want it to be the only reason she had any friends.
It was no secret that Caitlyn Kiramman was at the top of her class with a perfect grade point average. Naturally, that drew everyone else to her like moths to a flame when their needs arose. Caitlyn didn't have a problem tutoring or helping anyone who really seemed to mean it, but there always were the select few who constantly pestered her for last night's homework answers or would cheat off her during exams.
A flash of pink caught Caitlyn's attention and she came to a slow as she approached the front doors. Her heart picked up against her will.
Vi was there talking to her sister, encouraging her to have a fun day before she parted for the lower school building.
Luckily for her, it was a secret that Caitlyn had been madly crushing on Vi since last year. They had ended up having several classes together and Caitlyn hoped they would again this year.
This year she would make an effort to talk to Vi; to get to know her.
Not that Vi didn't know Caitlyn existed. They talked quite a bit to each other and had a friendly rivalry going since Vi always seemed to be in the number two spot in any of the classes they shared. Still, Caitlyn didn't know anything about Vi and Vi didn't know anything about her. Their conversations never surpassed comfortable banter.
Hell, Vi had never even called Caitlyn by her actual name. It was always 'Kiramman' or 'cupcake'—a nickname Caitlyn acted like she detested, but secretly swooned every time the rebel used it. The name had come about early on freshman year when Caitlyn had accidentally bumped into Vi during lunch and caused her cupcake to tumble from her hands and onto the pinkette's shoe. The incident had been morbidly embarrassing, but Vi's laughter had made everything seem all right.
Yes, she had it bad.
"And what do we say to anyone who gives you trouble?" Vi was saying to her sister.
The younger girl giggled before proclaiming, "Tell them you'll kick their asses!"
Vi grinned. "Exactly. You and Ekko have a good day. The rest of the crew and I will be waiting here for you when school lets out."
"'Kay. Bye, Vi!"
Caitlyn observed Vi as she waved and tried to gather her courage to approach. While Caitlyn had always been paraded around at fancy dinner parties or charities held by her family and others', she considered herself to be an introvert. She always thought she had two personas: the mask she wore when she was partaking in high society drama and the real her who lay beneath the mask; who was never allowed to be shown.
Caitlyn wanted to let that other girl be known.
"Hello, Vi," she managed with more confidence than she felt.
Vi looked towards her and Caitlyn's hands twitched around her backpack handles as the girl smiled.
"Hey, cupcake," she replied. "Good summer?"
Caitlyn nodded.
"Didn't spend it sequestered in your room studying or at a party on some esteemed gentleman's yacht?" The accent with which Vi finished the question was a poor imitation, but caused Caitlyn to laugh all the same.
"I did spend much of my time in my room, but studying wasn't all I did," she said. "And while being on a yacht may have been very enjoyable, being there with anyone my parents would have approved of would not be."
Vi chuckled herself briefly herself before a realization dawned in her eyes.
"Hey, how did the soccer tournament go? We were in that, weren't we?"
The fact that Vi even remembered Caitlyn was on the soccer team made her heart flutter and her crush that much more powerful.
"We were," Caitlyn nodded. "There should be a new trophy on display in the front hall."
Vi whistled before tossing her head back in a bark of a laugh. "Shouldn't have doubted you. Guess I'll need to make an actual attempt to show up to some of our games this season then. Especially 'cause you're the captain now, right? The youngest ever in school history?"
How in the world is this girl so caught up in the know when she barely comes to school half the days of the year? Caitlyn found herself marveling, though she knew that was a bit of an overstatement and insult to Vi's character.
"I-I am, though I'm still not sure why they chose me. I feel as though I still have lots to learn from my seniors."
This time Vi scoffed. "Please, I'd be all over that shit. I hate to say I haven't seen you play, but I'm sure you're just as amazing at it as you are everything else, so don't doubt yourself."
Caitlyn felt her cheeks flush against her will at the praise, but before she could say anything else or thank Vi, she saw her two friends clamoring up to them.
"Vi, the hell you doing bothering Kiramman?" the skinny one—Mylo?—asked as he slung an arm around the girl. His eyes then narrowed. "Or is she bothering you?"
Caitlyn's eyes widened at the random accusation and she automatically took a step back against her will. She saw Vi see it and hated herself.
Still, Vi surprised her when she shoved Mylo's arm off her and instead turned around to step between Caitlyn and her friends.
"Calm down, Mylo, we were just talking," Vi explained with just the smallest amount of bite. "I am actually civil enough to hold conversations with others that aren't you."
"Yeah, but," Mylo sneered down at Caitlyn, "she's a Piltie and she's giving you the time of day? Something must be up."
"Mylo," Vi warned, leaning up in the boy's face. "Drop it. I'll catch up with you in a sec, okay?"
Mylo groaned before the bigger, silent boy started dragging him away. Vi turned back around and Caitlyn tried to act like she didn't notice the pink lightly tinting Vi's ears.
"Sorry about him," she muttered, rubbing the back of her neck and avoiding Caitlyn's eyes. "I… I don't think you're like other Pilties, I want you to know that. Yeah, you're rich and smart and leagues above everyone at this school, but…it just seems like such an insult directed at you."
"It's…really okay, Vi. I've been called worse."
Vi's eyes darkened and Caitlyn fought back a shiver.
"By who?"
"I-I…don't remember, but it's okay." She tried a smile. "I'm tougher than I look."
Vi finally lost any tension at that and grinned again.
"You definitely are, cupcake."
"Vi! Come on!" Mylo shouted from a distance.
Vi rolled her eyes, flipped the boy off over her shoulder and kept her eyes locked on Caitlyn's.
"I'm sure I'll see you around," she said. "One of these days I'll get a better score than you in some class."
Back in familiar territory, Caitlyn only matched Vi's grin.
"Maybe if there's a class in parkour, otherwise I doubt it."
Vi covered her heart with a look of mock-hurt and Caitlyn was laughing for the umpteenth time in ten minutes. "Ouch, Kiramman."
"Bye, Vi."
Vi's eyes were soft as they looked Caitlyn up and down before she smiled and turn on her heel.
"See ya."
Then she was running the length of the school before jumping on top of Mylo and taking the poor boy to the ground. They began to tussle and Caitlyn smiled fondly before quickly shaking her head and making her way into the school.
Still, her heart fluttered upon the realization that she had just had the longest conversation with Vi to date.
Advanced biology was not the ideal way to start the day. Then again, it wasn't math, so Vi supposed she couldn't complain.
Too much…
The good thing, however, was the science teacher: Jayce Talis. He may disagree, but Vi considered their relationship to be a love/hate one. She would intentionally skip his class, knowing it especially peeved him as Progress Academy's 'Golden Boy' of classes past, but made sure she was present for every test, passing his freshman science class with an A-.
She also just knew how to push his buttons.
"Jaaaaayce, hey, have a good summer?" Vi casually asked, strutting up to his desk and leaning on it. "Miss me?"
Jayce rolled his eyes as the few kids already present in the classroom chuckled behind them.
"I did just so, so much," he drawled. "And it's Mr. Talis during school hours, Vi."
"Right, right. So, we gonna be dissecting any cool shit this year?"
"Language. And you'll see with the rest of the class when we review the syllabus."
"Lame," Vi scoffed before retreating to the back of the room.
She kicked her feet up on the desk, leaned dangerously far back in the chair and closed her eyes, waiting for class to start. She only opened them when she heard a strikingly familiar voice.
"Good morning, Mr. Talis."
Vi's chair fell to the floor with a thunk as she watched Jayce chuckle in response to the greeting.
From Caitlyn Kiramman.
Okay, so it shouldn't have come to that much of a surprise Caitlyn was in this class. It was an advanced course and Caitlyn—as Jayce had been—was the current prized student and could handle anything the school threw at her. Vi was constantly wondering who kept placing her in these classes. Caitlyn was everything Vi was not: elegant, respected, kind. She was loved by all the staff and students where Vi was scorned, believed capable to achieve great things in her future where Vi wasn't even thought to complete the current year.
Honestly, before their conversation just scarce minutes ago outside, Vi had never really taken the time to observe the Kiramman heiress. They passed each other in the halls, shared a few classes together, compared scores on tests, but that was the extent of things. They had never even sat together at lunch—though that was mainly because Vi chose to smoke in the courtyard rather than endure the perils of a high school cafeteria.
But, as their eyes met once Caitlyn turned to take her seat and recognition dawned in ocean blue eyes, that all seemed on the verge of change.
Not that Vi necessarily had a problem with that. But oil and water just didn't mix.
Caitlyn gave her a tentative wave before taking a seat at the front of the class as she always did. Front row, last row; Vi thought that perfectly encapsulated everything about the two of them.
She didn't pay much attention to Jayce as he began lecture on the class syllabus, choosing instead to gaze out the window.
But then her gaze would flicker back to Caitlyn for only a handful of seconds before Vi realized she kept looking at the girl. The branches swaying in the breeze, Caitlyn taking dutiful notes. A squirrel darting across the phone lines, Caitlyn tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Vi grit her teeth. A pretty girl gives her the time of day and now all of a sudden invades Vi's thoughts, makes perfect sense.
"And lastly," Jayce was saying, "our big project for the first half of this year. You all will be working in pairs to create your own animal. You'll draw a picture of it, assign it its class, genus and species, explain the environment it lives in and any predators or prey, among other things. You have two months to complete this project and…"
The class held its collective breath.
"I'm assigning the groups."
Vi rolled her eyes as a majority of her classmates groaned. She hated group projects, was always underestimated in her talents or the amount of work she would put in and then was never given the credit she deserved. It was complete bull—.
"Vi and Caitlyn."
Vi choked on her own spit.
Shit.